A Christmas Collection CD Set

Feel your heart soar as you listen to carols and music from a thousand years of Christmas celebrations, gathered for the first time in this exclusive BBC America Shop collection. Disc 1, A Child Is Born, lifts your spirits with Gregorian chant, medieval carols and lullabies for the baby Jesus, performed by ethereal choirs from Oxford and Cambridge, with magnificent organ accompaniment. Disc 2, Impressions of Christmas quiets your spirit with inspiring musical impressions such as "Footsteps in the Snow" by Debussy, "Waltz of the Snowflakes" by Tchaikovsky and "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi. On Disc 3, The
Christmas Story comes alive in words and music, from the 16th-century tune "Ding Dong! Merrily on High" to "The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy and "Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day" by John Gardner. Fifty-nine joyous selections.

Disc 1 - A Child Is Born
Carols and music for Christmas
A programme of music spanning a thousand years of Christmas celebrations, from the evocative medieval plainchant of the Sarum Rite to the warmth and joy of modern Christmas carols. Ethereal choirs from Oxford and Cambridge contrast with robust organ music and some famous and well-loved carols such as 'Away in a manger'.
1 A solis ortus cardine Plainsong - Sarum chant
2 Nowell: Dieus wous garde Richard Smart (fl. 1428-77)
3 Ther is no rose of swych vertu fifteenth century
4 Lullay, lullow: I saw a swete semly syght fifteenth century
5 Swete was the song the Virgine soong Arranged Thomas Hammond
6 Lullaby, my sweet little baby William ByrdThe Choir of Queens' College, Cambridge directed by James Weeks
7 Laudibus in Sanctis William Byrd English Renaissance directed by Michael Stoddart
8 Gabriel fram evene king fifteenth century
9 Angelus ad virginem fifteenth century The Oxford Girls' Choir and soloists directed by Richard Vendome
10 The Coventry Carol Arranged J Stainer
11 See amid the winter's snow John Goss
12 Sleep, holy babe JB Dykes The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford directed by Grayston Ives
13 Sleepers, awake! JS Bach Martin Souter
14 We three kings of Orient are JH Hopkins
15 I saw three ships Arranged J Stainer The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford directed by Grayston Ives
16 Away in a manger WJ Kirkpatrick
17 Past three o'clock Traditional Sara Stowe, Matthew Spring and Martin Souter
18 God rest you, merry gentlemen Arranged John Stainer
19 The Wassail Song Traditional The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford directed by Grayston Ives
20 In dulci Jubilo Johann Sebastian Bach Martin Souter

Disc 2 - Impressions of Christmas
Musical footsteps in the snow
A musical view of Christmas and the time of snow with contributions from choirs, orchestras, children, instrumentalists and carol singers.
1 The time of snow Bob Chilcott (1955-) The Southend Boys & Girls choir directed by Roger Humphreys, Susan Graham Smith, piano
2 Footsteps in the snow Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Martin Souter, piano
3 See amid the winter's snow Sir John Goss (1800-1880) The Cherwell Singers directed by Julia Craig-McFeely
4 The Shepherds' Farewell Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) The Choir of Worcester College, Oxford directed by Christopher Sparkhall
5 Waltz of the Snowflakes Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Don Jackson
6 Once in royal David's city HJ Gauntlett (1805-1876) The Choir of Worcester College, Oxford directed by Christopher Sparkhall
7 The twelve days of Christmas Traditional Ian Giles, John Spiers, Jon Boden, Giles Lewin
8 The Seasons: Winter - Cavatina Josef Haydn (1732-1809) Orchestra of the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele & the South German Madrigal Choir conducted by Wolfgang Gönnenwein
9 The Four Seasons: Winter - Allegro/Largo/Allegro Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Pavel Popov, violin, The St Petersburg Radio & TV Orchestra conducted by Stanislav Gorkovenko
10 Knecht Ruprecht (Father Christmas) Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Martin Souter, piano
11 Who killed cock Robin? Traditional Sara Stowe and Matthew Spring
12 O little town of Bethlehem Traditional The Cherwell Singers directed by Julia Craig-McFeely
13 We've been a while a wandering Traditional Sara Stowe and Matthew Spring
14 Cantique de Noël Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)Martin Souter, organ

3 - The Christmas Story
Told in words and music
CHRISTMAS BELLS
1 Ding Dong! Merrily on High 16th cent. French tune arranged David Willcocks
2 Christmas Bells Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
JOURNEY TO BETHELEHEM
3 The Time of Snow Bob Chilcott
4 Christmas Landscape Laurie Lee
5 Mid-Winter Bob Chilcott
6 O Simplicitas Madeleine L'Engle
A Maiden Most Gentle Andrew Carter
7 O Little Town of Bethlehem Paul Ayres
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
8 Silent Night F Gruber arranged Sarah Tenant-Flowers
9 The Shepherd's Dog Leslie Norris
10 Methinks I see an Heav'nly Host William Billings
11 For Him All Stars Have Shone Bob Chilcott
12 The Oxen Thomas Hardy
13 O Magnum Mysterium Morten Lauridsen
WORSHIP AND CELEBRATION
14 Kings came riding Charles Williams
15 Good King Wenceslas Piae Cantiones arranged Antony Pitts
16 Eddi's Service Rudyard Kipling
17 December John Clare
18 Drive the Cold Winter Away Playford MS arranged Sarah Tenant-Flowers
THE DAWN OF LIGHT
19 Moonless Darkness Stands Between Gerard Manley Hopkins Canticles of Light Bob Chilcott
20 Te lucis ante terminum
21 Christe, qui, splendor et dies
22 O nata lux de lumine
TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY
23 Carol for the Last Christmas Eve Norman Nicholson
24 Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day John Gardner
25 A New Year Carol Benjamin Britten